Elevated Liver Enzymes & Craft Beer

Tested - yes as part of annual physicals. But results have always been fine (touching wood for future).

Also - stating the obvious - doc saying 1-2 drinks per night is fine - he's probably not talking about Chocolate Rain here...

 

Mine gets tested twice a year prior to getting my cholesterol meds prescribed...all's good in that dept, but my blood sugar level is higher than normal...I don't drink/eat sugar or sugary drinks, my bodyfat is about 15%, no one else in my family has this issue, so it may be the beer

 

you are dipping into contentious waters here. I suspect a lot of arm chair doctors and psychologists will pipe in on their subjective opinions and experiences. it is always a challenge to bring up to health consequences of alcohol on an advocacy forum for essentially alcohol consumption.

Moderation is usually fine, but the definition of moderation should be left to your doctor and you.

 

Have you had any baseline blood work done? While ALT and AST can point towards impaired liver function, elevated levels can also be associated with heart disease, diabetes, and myopathy. It's good that your doctor is checking for some of the diseases that mess with the liver as these tend to be more likely. ALT and AST fluctuate throughout the day as well so solid numbers would also help the BA community know if they should worry! A quick check on the healthy ranges of ALT and AST come back as under 50 IU/L and under 40 IU/L, respectively.

 

My doc says it can be.

 

Liver Enzymes can spike for a number of reasons. Drinking, Hepatitis and Fatty Liver (NASH) are some of the most common issues. If you are overweight they can be higher as well. If they are elevated by drinking I solid few weeks will most likely help them come down if there is no medical condition. The liver is also unique and can 'heal' itself overtime. Just work with your Dr and change your lifestyle a bit if need be.

(Not a medical prof. I just work on clinical trials many dealing with Hepatitis and other liver diseases)

 

I'll admit to having been given pause by the numbers in the "Do you set a limit on how much you drink during a setting?" thread. There are some livers working overtime in there.

But I'm at an age where it becomes clearer that one is always going to die of something. And 60 years of beer seems a lot more inviting than 80 years of sobriety.

Still, I may sing a different tune once the Reaper's delivery schedule starts picking up.

 

Always listen to your wife! (and even more so on this issue because of her occupation). Your best bet in the meantime is to the gastro and have a good talk with him/her as he/she will be able to go over everything you could possibly want to know. For yearly checkups, however, I'd get your liver function checked in order to track changes in its function as this can help the doctor with any future diagnoses.

 

I am on the same boat. Last year I had a physical and same thing, Elevated Liver Enzymes. I also had hep tests and liver scan and other test. After everything else came back ok the doc just said to cut back my alcohol consumption. I have and started taking Milk Thistle Suppliments. I have to go get another physical this year so I have my fingers crossed that everything is much better.. I drink about 1-2 beers per week and a shit ton on sporadic weekends.

 

Don't really have much of personal experience with this since I've never had any consistent drinking habits. Plus I've never been in anywhere close to dangerous levels of overweight/BF%/inactivity levels - I've had some sort of activity throughout my life and the have consistently been working out for the past 2 1/2 years. On any occasions where I've had tests done there were no abnormalities - regardless of whether I drank more than "usual" in that phase or had other factors.

2-3 drinks/night does sound like quite a bit though depending on the drink.

 

@JasonJYoung There's also many things you can do outside of the doc's office to help supplement and strengthen your liver function. Although checkups are very important for tracking, as @sdeese21 mentioned, as well as making sure there aren't more serious pathologies at play, I would suggest looking into herbal remedies that you can take in the interim.

Supplements include:
Milk Thistle seed
Toadflax
Oregon Grape root
Echinacea root
Licorice root
Celandine
Fringe Tree root
Culver's root
Blue Flag root

I literally just read off the list of ingredients on the liver tonic I take daily, so I'm sure you can find something similar in your vitamin/grocery store.

One last thing, which I've found very helpful, is once a year (preferably in the Spring) doing a liver cleanse. In Oriental medicine, each organ system is associated with a season, and the Liver/Gallbladder land in the Spring, making it the ideal time to cleanse. Just some food for thought, and hopefully to help ease your mind from the jarring news. It never hurts to bolster the organ that you're being "hard" on, but you'll be fine, the liver is a beast at regenerating.

Cheers and all the best!

 

CEL Cycle Assist is an herbal supplement with very precise dosages used by fitness athletes to protect their organs while on a steroid cycle. Now I can see why that might scare some people but it is what it is made for and when taken by itself it is one of the best health supplements I have ever used. Here is some information on the ingredients in case anyone is interested I think this can really help anyone that is experiencing minor heath problems and are looking for something OTC and effective. I would like to add that I have no affiliation with this company but did use this product and had it lower my liver enzymes and blood pressure to normal levels when only slightly elevated.

Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 4 capsules
Servings per Container: 60

Amount Per Serving:
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine – 750 mg
Milk Thistle (Standardized to 80% Silymarin) – 500 mg
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) – 500 mg 5000%
Hawthorn Berry Extract (Standardized to 1.8% Vitexin) – 300 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCL) – 50mg 2500 %
Saw Palmetto Extract (Standardized to 45% Fatty Acids) – 160 mg
Celery Seed Extract (10:1) – 75 mg
Grape Seed Extract (95% Proanthocyanidins) – 75 mg
Policosanol – 20 mg
Zinc Gluconate – 15 mg 100%

Other Ingredients: Magnesium Stearate

Directions:
As a dietary supplement, take 4 capsules twice daily spaced out 8 to 12 hours apart, preferably with
meals.

Examining the Ingredients:
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine:
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) is an amino acid derivative that is not present in the diet and must be obtained through supplementation. It is more stable than regular L-Cysteine, and offers a variety of overall health benefits. NAC exerts powerful antioxidant effects and serves to boost immune function and support optimal liver function by acting as a glutathione precursor.

Milk Thistle:
Milk Thistle is standardized for Silymarin, which is well known to help support normal liver function. It exerts both a protective and detoxification benefits.

What is the importance of it being standardized? The amount of Silymarin delivered by any Milk Thistle product directly relates to the amount of benefit that the product offers. Cycle Assist is standardized to 80% Silymarin. If a product does not state how much Silymarin it is standardized for, you simply don’t know how much benefit you will receive from the product

Pantothenic Acid:
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) is involved in the production of red blood cells and adrenal hormones. The body converts is to Coenzyme A, which is important for energy production in the body. Pantothenic Acid is thought to help maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and also is used frequently to help combat and prevent acne.

Hawthorn Berry Extract:
Hawthorne Berry Extract is commonly used to help support various aspects of cardiovascular function, including high blood pressure and cholesterol. It has been shown to encourage normal blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system.

What is the importance of it being standardized? The level of benefits that Hawthorn Berry has to offer is directly related to the amount extract that the individual product in question provides. Hawthorn can be shown to present extractions for various compounds; in Cycle Assist, the Hawthorn Extract is shown to be reflected to at least 1.8% Vitexin which is the standardization that is widely used in hawthorn products specifically designed for optimal blood pressure and cholesterol support.

Vitamin B-6:
Vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin that performs a wide variety of functions in the body. It plays an
important role in helping maintain healthy skin and hair, is important for proper circulatory function,
and is essential for red blood cell formation and protein metabolism. Vitamin B6 is important for
cardiovascular function because it is involved in regulating blood pressure as well as other heart
functions. It is also important for helping regulate homocysteine levels.

Saw Palmetto Extract:
Saw Palmetto contains a variety of fatty acids as well as phystosterols. These active ingredients help inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme that turns testosterone into dehydrotestosterone (DHT) and also helps block the binding of DHT to prostate cells.

What is the importance of it being standardized? The importance of Saw Palmetto Berries being used as a standardized extract is because the percentage of standardized extract represents the amount of fatty acids and phytosterols that are in the product. This directly relates to the level of benefits that the product will provide.

Celery Seed Extract:
Celery Seed Extract is commonly used to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and improve circulation. Celery Seed Extract contains the compound 3nB, which acts to help lower blood pressure by acting as both a diuretic and a vasodilator through impacting prostaglandin function. It is also important to note that unlike some diuretics, 3nB doesn’t change the ratio of sodium to potassium in the blood; this is important because by not altering that ratio, the common side effects associated with some diuretics are avoided.

What is the importance of it being standardized? As discussed above, it is the 3nB in the Celery Seed Extract that is responsible for the positive effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, and circulation.

Grape Seed Extract:
Grape Seed Extract is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. It is used to help support cardiovascular and immune function, as well as to support healthy cholesterol levels and skin elasticity.

What is the importance of the standardization/concentration? The benefits of Grape Seed Extract are due to the Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins content. There are numerous standardizations available; Cycle Assist uses a Grape Seed Extract that contains 95% Proanthocyanidins to help insure maximum results.

Policosanol:
Policosanol is commonly used to help support healthy cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. Policosanol is a mixture of long chain fatty alcohols derived from sugar cane; these alcohols are regarded to possess considerable antioxidant capacity.

Zinc Gluconate:
Zinc is an essential mineral that is involved in over 200 enzymatic reactions in the body. It functions as an antioxidant so it is beneficial for immune support. Zinc is also important in the prostate and may help protect it from damage. It is also thought to be beneficial for skin health, maintaining cholesterol levels to within normal range, and playing an important role in the detoxification of alcohol in the liver.

 

Wow this really hits close to home for me. There are alot of variables to the causes of these high result numbers in my opinion.

I too had an annual test and both ALT and AST were high out of range and the Doc stated I had elevated Liver Enzymes as well. Now I rarely drink during the week, so most of my drinking is done on Fri and or Sat, and sometimes Sunday. Sometimes all three if its that type of weekend. I drink how ever many I feel like having, so its safe to say I drink fairly heavy sometimes. So anyway I was then asked to quit drinking for 90 days and test again.

I also take supplements on a daily basis in conjunction with a diet plan and workout plan. Pre workout drink, Amino powder in my water during workouts and a Post workout drink. And I am at the gym 6 days a week. I quit drinking alcohol for the 90 days religiously! Lets face it I was a little spooked to be honest. I did not however quit the supplements during this period it was business as usual.

After 90 days I tested again, the results were higher than when I was drinking?! My blood was then tested for Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, etc. which came up negative. So the Doc then had me do an Ultrasound of my liver, so now I was definitley more than spooked. However thankfully the Ultrasound tests show that my liver is normal. So now the doctor is baffled and we do not know what is causing this anomally in the test. Doc has me quit drinking again for 6 weeks and asks me to cycle off any supplements I am taking as well this time. So I quit drinking for 6 weeks, but this time not so religioulsy, but I do stop taking any and all supplements without any huccup.

So I re-test yet again and my AST is 25 points lower and within range and my ALT although lower is still above range. So the supplements had a role in this obviously and I read various stories that point to this as the culprit as well, most people saying Amino acids being the key component.

I am now back to drinking and supplements again and moving forward I will just start quitting supplements and drinking for 6 weeks or so prior to my yearly tests and we will go form there. Unless the Doc says otherwise.

Sorry for the long winded story but this definitley really hits close to home for me.

Cheers All!

 

In the same boat here. Recently found out I had super high blood sugar 454 which is considered critical. Diagnosed as diabetic type II and started on Metformin and Glipizide. Doc did tests and told me my liver enzymes were abnormal and he was worried about me having hep c. I was probably drinking 4-5 out of 7 days a week, 3-6 beers a pop prior to this news. Doc said I shouldn't be drinking at all for awhile, and if I do only have 1 or 2 once a twice a week. Now obviously he's not talking the 10% beer I usually drink. I stopped drinking all together for 7 days but now I am back to drinking but in moderation. More then 2 at a time, but now im only gonna drink at most 2 days a week, fri-sat. Since I've seen my blood sugars drop quite a bit, now down around 200 and still going down slowly. Set to have my liver tested again on the 23rd to see where things stand. I ended up getting a bladder/kidney infection as well from all of this. Was in really bad shape 2 weeks ago. Doc also said fatty foods can contribute to high liver enzymes so im on a lowfat/low sugar diet, well at least as much as possible. Man needs a burger once in awhile dammit.

Just goes to show as we age our body needs more help to recover. Thankfully I can still have a couple beers a couple times a week. I just can't go and get smashed and have 10 high proof beers in a night. Also, those with diabetes should be very careful if you drink. Your blood sugars can actually drop too low! Based on my experience since learning all this, my magic number is 3-4 drinks in a night. Anymore then that my blood sugars get out of wack i.e. low/high. And NEVER drink on an empty stomach. Your asking for trouble. I am hoping by slowing down my liver will recover but I know it will take time as it took time to do the damage.

So I guess, long story short, moderation is the key. Drink alot of water prior to drinking, eat a good meal and be careful. We're not young bucks anymore.

 

You are putting your long term health at risk by stopping drinking/taking supplements 6 weeks before the test and creating a false result than where your body is the other 46 weeks out of the year. I think you would be better off getting an accurate test. Years ago I was advised of having higher liver enzymes and the Doctor advised me to cut my intake which I have done from 6-12 drinks a week to maybe 2 a week with the exceptions of beerfests/beer weeks. He understands beer is my business and he understands I cant cut it out completely. I have even met with him and had a couple of beers with him. Just by reducing my intake to a couple of drinks a week and probably more importantly in my opinion losing some weight by exercising my enzyme count is now within range. I don't think supplements offer a miracle cure. It's long term lifestyle change that matters most to long term success.

 

Collateral damage.

 

I never said supplements were a miracle cure, I stated that for me it seemed to be causing the higher numbers. Exercising is not an issue for me as stated I workout 6 days a week. For me it seemed refraining from beer did not drop the numbers like dropping supplements did. I appreciate the advise and will def consult my doctor for future reference.

 

Very true. This is what I am learning. Its definitely a lifestyle change. Quick fixes won't help in the long run.

And to the guy above who said collateral damage, yes its all fun and games until you end up in the ER feeling like your gonna die. Then reality sets in. Good luck!